Reseach methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reseach methods - Essay Example Multiple form reliability refers to the application of equivalent forms of measure and correlation. This measurement tool is similar to test-retest reliability, but in this, subjects are given both forms of measure concurrently. Split half reliability reflects the correlation between the two halves in a set of items but the coefficient varies, depending on how the scale is split. Sometimes when more than one scale, dimension or factor is evaluated then split half reliability is used to check the consistency (Sekaran, 2006). Ans. Crime seriousness scales are the severity scales that judges the seriousness of the crime on the basis of weights assigned to them. There are two types of crime seriousness scales, simple rating scales and magnitude scales. Simple rating scales determine the rate of the crime on the basis of scales ranging from 1(not serious) to 9 (extremely serious). But this rating scale is unable to determine the magnitude difference between the scale scores. While magnitude scale measures the degree of seriousness of various crimes by public ranking. Selling-wolf gang index and national survey of crime severity are the two examples of magnitude scales in crime seriousness. Both these crime seriousness scales are used in criminal justice research to determine and analyze the seriousness of the crime. Crime seriousness scales not only judges the crime level but it also helps in controlling (Wilmot, 2002). Ans. Least square regression line is known as the best fitted line, least square line, regression line and least square prediction equation. It represents a mathematical model for a group of data. Generally, linear regression consists of finding the best-fitted line through the points in the scatter diagram. This line identifies the relationship between a single predictor variable X and the response variable Y, while the other predictor variables are held fixed. This

Riordan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Riordan - Essay Example In the case of Riordan Manufacturing, diversity is important since it will ensure that the firm creates a positive image on the eyes of the public as well governments (Douglas, 2007). In this way, it will benefit from the support of all the stakeholders. Fostering of ethical culture is another aspect that will significantly impact on RM. For example, the company management team will foster ethics that ensures ethical collaboration that entails holding themselves as well as other accountable. Similarly, the company will start executing its own resolutions to the problems they are facing. In this way, the sense of responsibility will be enacted in the firm thus enhancing the level of motivation among the employees. Through the expansion strategies that the Riordan Manufacturing will adopt, the firm will effectively reach its customers. This implies that the customers will not waste a lot of time travelling long distances to look for their brands. As a result, RM will benefit from strong positive customer brand relationship. The measurement helps in ensuring competitive advantage in various ways. Based on the stiff competition in the Northern America, it is imperative that companies come up with ways of addressing the competition. On the part of Riordan Manufacturing, reduction of lead times for example through the use of freight for small shipments and establishing outlets near the customers will ensure that the firm faces its competitors effectively. Additionally, by improving the transportation strategies, the business will eliminate the delays that are experienced by other customers who are loyal to the competitors. In this way, the company will enjoy strong positive relationship with its customers. Based on the fact that Riordan Manufacturing aims at entering Hermosillo, Mexico the company will employ new employees with a different racial background. This means that

The Bamboo And Construction With Bamboo Biology Essay

The Bamboo And Construction With Bamboo Biology Essay The world is at the jaws of crisis in many sectors in the near future. One of the most important of them is the availability of timber. World is becoming more and more urbanized. There must be some sort of solution which can give some relief to the hunger towards the need of timber. We need to look for a solution which must have few characteristics such as A product which can substitute wood in the widest range of purposes of uses.. A product which doesnt have negative environmental impact or is eco-friendly.. A product which can be made in a rural environment to assist in reducing the pressure of urbanization in the current world. A product whose production scale must be such that it shouldnt displace the rural people from its reach. A product which is very much meaningful in the activity. Bamboo is definitely one such solution we got for the near future. Bamboo products can substitute wood-based products in a very wide range. The cultivation and maintenance of bamboo is very easy in comparison with wood. Bamboo can be grown as clumps in most soils and is very cheaper which makes it a feasible material for poor people and in rural regions. More and more people can be involved in this process to make them aware of the possibilities with bamboo. Bamboo based industries must be encouraged by maximum villager involvement as it even requires very low capital. Bamboo based industries can therefore provide the time and space for evolutionary development of the rural economy. 1.2 THE PROBLEMS (1) The world produces 3.5 billion tons of wood from roughly 3.5 billion hectares of forest. Approximately half of that is used as firewood. In the developed world, less than one billion people consume an average of approximately 1 ton per capita per year, hardly any of it as firewood. The richer the country, the higher this amount (in the USA it is 2.3 tonnes). Thus, in the poorer parts of the world, people consume far more firewood than industrial wood (by a factor of at least three to one). The overall objective of world development is that standards of living should rise. At the present, Chinas annual per capita wood consumption is only 0.16 m3 much lower than the global average of 0.65 cubic meters (China Daily, 13 April 2000). Will the developing world start to consume wood in a manner similar to the developed world as it becomes richer. The evidence is not clear but South Korea has seen a quadrupling of its per capita consumption between 1950 and 1990. Although Chinas per cap ita lumber consumption remains much lower than the global average, its demand for lumber has increased drastically over the last few years, while its supply has remained steady or decreased slightly (China Daily, 13 April 2000). Will new technology (email and Internet) reduce the amount of paper used? Again the evidence is not clear but there seems to be no strong trend as yet. The consequences for world wood consumption are therefore very serious if rising standards of living lead to an accelerated usage of wood products [10]. If the world population (six billion now trending towards eight billion in 25 years time) moved to consume wood in a pattern similar to the more developed countries (e.g. 1 m3 / capita in Germany [11]) the consumption of industrial wood (excluding firewood) would need to at least quadruple (as it did in South Korea). It is unlikely that the wood currently consumed as firewood could assist much, for well-known technical reasons (it is often dead wood, small si zed and sparsely distributed). (2) The area of forest is being reduced by continuing deforestation. This is compounded by a growing consciousness that forests have values over and above their timber value (for carbon retention mature forests may not actually sequester extra carbon-for biodiversity shelter and for soil, water and air quality values). Thus the supply of timber-producing forest is decreasing, through preservation, in such diverse economies as the USA, Australia, New Zealand, India and China. (3) In the last two centuries, improving standards of living have been preceded by large increases in population and increasing urbanization. It is paradoxical that the population appears to increase rapidly before gains in living standards appear and that steeply rising population can threaten to cancel out those gains. Developing countries are following along the pattern first established in Britain 250 years ago but with some differences. The English population rose from 6 million in 1750 to 40 million in 1900 but would have increased to over 60 million were it not for the huge outward migration to the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Even with that safety valve, small villages like Birmingham increased from populations of only 4000 in 1680 to 400 000 in 1881, as people left the countryside for the towns. They had little choice. There was not enough free land in the countryside for farming. Living conditions for most of the population in these cities were very poor and their working conditions dehumanized. Todays developing countries do not have the possibilities of overseas migration; they face the same pressures towards urbanization but do not wish to reinvent the dark satanic mills of the 18th and 19th century. It would be good if sufficient employment could be found in a rural environment to reduce the pressure towards urbanization. (4) Studies in both the developed economies and the developing economies have come to the conclusion that people work best in small to medium size firms/enterprises where they can see the impact of their own efforts and where they feel that they can have an effect on decision-making. These conclusions find their expression in the general concept of participation. -IAN R.HUNTER, 2002, Bamboo and Rattan, Vol. 1, No.2, pp.101-103, Available at: www.vsppub.com Its not like bamboo can be the only solution for all these issues outlined above but experiences in few places indicate that bamboo can make some meaningful contribution. 2.1Bamboo as a wood substitute The bamboo culm, reduced to its finest parts, is an excellent industrial fiber. As such it has been shown, both in the laboratory and in practice, to be an excellent substitute for wood fiber in such things as paper, medium density fiber board and veneer. There are very few technical difficulties in utilizing normal wood-working machinery to work with bamboo. One difference that does need to be accommodated is the higher silica content of bamboo which can dull cutting edges. With good physical and mechanical properties, low shrinkage and average density of 0.7 g/cm3, bamboo is well suited to replace wood in several applications, especially in panel form. Bamboo mat board and bamboo strip board have been exploited on an industrial scale, and products marketed for various end uses such as flooring, roofing, and other housing components, furniture, packing cases, etc. At present, in China, over 1,000,000 m3 of panels of various types are produced annually in some 200 mills, whereas in India, industrial-scale production of panels is confined to bamboo mat board with about 2000 m3 board by seven mills. The global use of paper is reported to be increased by 5% annually. Today, Asia, and mainly India and China, make the most use of bamboo for pulp and paper. India uses about 3 million tons of bamboo per year in pulp manufacture and China about 1 million tons, and both are set to increase their use of bamboo for paper pulp manufacture (China targets 5 million tons per year). Bamboo pulp is also processed into incense paper in the Philippines for export. Brazil is presently the only American country that uses bamboo for making cellulose and paper. However, bamboo has certain characteristics that are superior. It has a high surface hardness such that laminated bamboo flooring is equal in wear to the hardest American hardwoods. Many of the products made from bamboo can be and are made in small factories with very limited capital requirements; hence these factories can be distributed around the country-side close to their raw material. Bamboo also has a unique role to play in constructing strong light-weight houses. It has been known for a long time that light weight timber frame construction houses offer the greatest safety against earthquakes and also greater safety on earth slips. Lightweight timber framing housing is the norm in New Zealand. In 1987, the small town of Edgecombe in the northern part of the North Island of New Zealand was shattered by force 7 earthquakes. The force of the earthquake was sufficient to tip a railway engine on its side. Yet no-one was killed and all of the houses remained standing. There are two technologies utilizing bamboo that can be adapted to provide similar kinds of houses. In one, bamboo poles can be used in a similar way to timber studs to provide a similar space-frame construction. Work needs to be done improving the joins before the result is as strong as a timber frame house. In the other, a bamboo frame or hurdle can be woven out of split bamboo and plastered on either s ide. The bamboo hurdle effectively reinforces the concrete plastering. This second style of building produces a result which is more culturally familiar in many countries and possibly therefore more acceptable. 2.2 Properties of Bamboo: 2.2.1 Tensile strength: The bamboo fibers run axially. outer zone constitute of highly elastic vascular bundles, which have a high tensile strength. The tensile strength of these fibers is higher than that of steel, but to construct connects which can transfer load axially is merely impossible. 2.2.2 Shrinking: Bamboos shrinks a lot more tan wood when it loses whole of its water. Nodes are very vulnerable during this shrinking. Bamboo shrinks in the cross section 10 to 15% 2.2.3 Fire resistance: Due to the presence of the high content of silicate acid it offers a very good resistance towards fire.. Filled up with water, it can stand a temperature of 400 ° C while the water cooks inside. 2.2.4 Elasticity: Bamboos enormous elasticity makes it a very good building material in earthquake prone zones. Its is very light in weight and can be easily worked on. -Bamboo as a building material, 2002, available @ www.bambusnewengreportsbuildingmaterialbuildingmaterial.html 2.3 Bamboo for construction: There is a substantial role of bamboo in the construction field as it grows naturally, it has strength, flexibility and versatility and is very suitable material in every part of a house when treated and is used properly. Not only there are technical advantages with bamboo but it is very economical as it is a local product in many places of the country and is amongst the cheapest materials available. Recently there are hikes in the prices of bamboo but with proper cultivation and increased production these inflations in the fields of bamboo can be handled. Cultivating of bamboo properly gives high yields. Moreover bamboo can replace usage of timber in many areas. It can contribute towards the solution for the deforestation which is a very major concern in the world. 2.3.1 Roofing: Bamboo shingles whose lengths are almost as long as rafters. The bamboo canes are first halved along their diaphragms and are bisected. Then they are threaded as alternative facing units and are tied. They are held in the supports by their own weight. 2.3.2 Trusses Fabrication of roof trusses is about the most promising use of bamboos. Literally, any span of truss is possible, and as indicated in Section 5, a Fink truss of about 8.5m span can be carried by three workmen and installed by about 5 workmen. The property of lightweight with strength and stiffness is manifested here. Also, substantial savings in the non-use of heavy lifting equipment. (ii) Scaffolding (iii) Disaster Mitigation The lightness of bamboo, wide availability and possibility of building shelter from modular units lends it for use for post-disaster shelter. A project is in the offing by the UNHCR where temporary shelters are fabricated from A-shaped bamboo support frames with horizontal members at the apex and at mid-heights of the A-frame. A water-proof sheet is draped over this frame for cover. 2.3.3 Bridges Bridges attempted consist of: (a) Footbridges: Simple cross-braced frames with the walkway formed at the crutch. Culms of 50-75mm diameter are bound by bamboo lashings. They are suited to rivers with muddy or sandy bottoms where the height above bed does not exceed 5m. A typical crossing might be 20m long. (b) Handcart Bridge: The construction is more elaborate with abutments and pilings. The abutments are formed from pairs of culms staked to the ground. A pair of horizontal culms forms the pile cap and diagonal braces stabilize the assembly. To form the roadway, three longitudinal bamboo beams of 100mm Ø are lashed to the caps and tied together at the center of each bay with a cross-member. 22.3.4 Scaffoldings Bamboo can be used for the construction of safe scaffoldings for very tall buildings because of the favorable relationship between the load-bearing capacity and weight. Bamboo has been used for centuries as scaffolding in Asian countries and, despite competition with many metal scaffolding systems, remains one of the most preferred system in both China and Hong Kong (Fu, 1993). Owing to its high adaptability and low construction cost, it can be constructed to any layout to follow various irregular architectural features of a building within a relatively short period of time (Chung, et al., 2003). They are used in construction sites to provide temporary access, working platforms for construction workers and supervisory staff, and to prevent construction debris from falling on passers-by. In Hong Kong, they are used as Single Layered Bamboo Scaffolds (SLBS) for light work and Double Layered Bamboo Scaffords (DLBS) for heavy work (Chung and Sin, 2002). Bamboo scaffolding, like any other, must possess integrity and must be laterally stable. The foregoing is ensured by the provision of bracing. The bracing is by two pieces of bamboo fixed in an X shape and at an angle of 60o-70o over the section of bamboo to be braced. For multi-storey structures it is required to tie the scaffolding to the building often through 6mm dia mild steel bars (putlogs) pre-fixed to concrete at every floor. A prop is also required between the building and the scaffolding to prevent the leaning of the scaffolding towards the building. The canes are not treated even at their connections and only lashed joints are used. The cane extension is carried out by lashing the cane ends together by using several ties. The ties are arranged in such that force acting vertically downwards wedges the nodes in the lashing. By tightening the ropes between the canes the friction can be increased to the maximum. The vertical and horizontal canes used for scaffolding are joined using soft lashing. This technique has a great advantage that the joints can be tensioned to the right degree without difficulty and even released quickly. -Dunkelberg, Klaus: Bamboo as a building material, in: IL31 Bambus, Karl Krà ¤mer Verlag Stuttgart 1992. 3.1 Mechanical and Structural Properties Bamboo, being a circular, hollow structure has certain mechanical and structural advantages and disadvantages as compared to a rectangular solid timber of the same cross-section. These advantages/disadvantages are, in other instances, complemented or accentuated by the cellulose fiber make-up of the bamboo. These comparative analyses are tabulated in Table 1.0. Some rules of thumb for the relationship between the mass per volume of bamboo and some mechanical properties have been derived by INBAR and Janseen (1991). These are given in Table 2.0. Also, various tests for strength and mechanical properties and design rules have been put forward by INBAR (ISO-22156, 22157, ISO/DTR-23157.2). Comparative Mechanical Properties of Bamboo and Rectangular Lumber (Janssen, 2001) Table 1.0: Comparative Mechanical Properties of Bamboo and Rectangular Lumber (Janssen, 2001) Property Bamboo Rectangular Lumber Assumptions 1. Moment of Inertia, I I = 0.40A2 I = 0.16A2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ For most bamboos, d = internal diameter = 0.82D à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ For timber, mostly h = 2 x b 2. Optimum Material Use, EI 4900A2 2240A2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cellulose = 70,000N/mm2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ E fiber = 35,000N/mm2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 50% of cross- section of fiber is cellulose. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Eà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 350x% of fibers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In bamboos, fiber is 60% on outside and 10% on inside, hence E outside = 35060 = 21,000N/mm2 and E inside = 35010 = 3500N/mm2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Edahoma = 14,000N/mm2 Bending à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Compression stress during bending may result in transverse strain in fibers of top face of culm. Lignin in fibres is weak in strain. Coherence in cross- section is lost and EI drops dramatically. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ If load removed culm returns to original straight form. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Timber will not regain original length when load is removed. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poisson coefficient for bamboo = 0.3. 4. Shear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shear in neutral layer = 1.3x shear for timber à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Smaller thickness to resist shear. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Larger forces on bolt fasteners at joints. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Advantage of not having a ray structure is nullified by hollow nature. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Larger thickness to resist shear. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Has rays. Rays are mechanically weak. Hence, timber material is weaker in shear than bamboo material. 5. Torsion à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Better torsional resistance due to circular shape. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poorer torsional resistance because of sharp corners. Table 1.0 (Contd) Property Bamboo Rectangular Lumber Assumptions 6. Wind Resistance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Bending stress due to wind is constant over height of culm. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ At top (near skin) vessels decrease and cellulose replaces vessels, leading to increase resistance to bending stress. 7. 8. Compression Density à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Because of hollow nature and thus greater distance of solid mass from center, longitudinal shortening is greater and thus greater the likelihood of lateral strain in lignin. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Friction due to clamping at top and bottom of culm reduces lateral strain. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Amount of lignin deter- mines compressive strength not cellulose. 700 800kg/m3 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Solid nature makes for better compression resistance and reduced lateral strain. 850kg/m3 Table 2.0: Rules of Thumb Factors for Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Air-dry bamboo Bending Compression Shear E 0.14 0.094 0.021 24 Green bamboo 0.11 0.075 Ultimate stress (N/mm2) = Factor x mass/volume (in kg/m3) 1 Allowable stress à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  7 x Ultimate stress JANSSEN, J.J.A., 2000. Designing and Building with Bamboo. INBAR Technical Report No.20, page no. 18-23 3.2 Earthquake Resistance Bamboo, being lightweight and hollow, makes it naturally highly resistant to earthquake (because it has high stiffness in relation to its weight). That, it does not shatter at failure means that when the earthquake is over the building can be left standing with relatively minor damage; providing shelter whiles the damage is being repaired. In a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in April, 1961, in Costa Rica, 20 bamboo houses were left standing near the epicenter (Janssen, 2000). 4.1 Problems related to Bamboo. 4.1.1 Structure The available bamboo tends not to be very straight, have variable diameters, culm thickness and show marked tapering. These attributes have a costly effect on preliminary attempts at construction in bamboo, as will be indicated later. 4.1.2 Insect and Fungi Attack More than anything else, the problem with bamboo is pest and fungi attack. Insect attack is through the relatively softer tissues in the inside wall of the cavity wall and at the budding points in the nodes. Fungi attack is severe when the bamboo is exposed to damp conditions. Various methods exist for prevention of these attacks (Jayanetti and Follet, 1998). They range from the sophisticated modified Boucherie process, through immersion in a boric acid/borax mixture in water, injection and painting with creosote, to hanging in a flowing stream immediately after harvesting for at least a week for the sugary ingredients to be washed out. Traditional preservation methods also exist such as curing, smoking and lime-washing. The real effects of such traditional methods are not known since they have not been documented and quantified. 4.1.3 Fire risk 4.1.4 No standardisation possible: no 2 culms are alike 4.1.5Maintenance 4.1.6Difficulty of making the junctions of the culms 4.1.7 No construction skills with bamboo culms in non-bamboo available countries 4.2 Measures to be taken 4.2.1Treatment of the surface For small parts this information about bleaching and dyeing are determined for kite-constructions. though it can ´t support enough weight. Bleaching and dyeing possibly can change the structure of the bamboo that far, nevertheless these methods should be introduced. 4.2.2 Bleaching: For removing traces of resin or wax bleaching in hydrogen peroxide can be done. The bamboo will get perished if it stays long. 4.2.3 Dyeing: There are different traditional styles of bleaching in different countries. In principle: 1. The color can ´t penetrate into the bamboo if at all the wax is removed. 2. The color will become more regular if it is bleached before dying. 3. Fix the color in a solution of vinegar after dying. 4.2.4 Other methods: In Japan, the surface will be peeled off, hydrochloride acid is put on the bamboo and the canes are put in an oven. The canes get a brown color. treating the canes with copper sulfate will give a green color to the bamboo and protects it from mold. These methods only dye the surface of the bamboo. To get a through and through dyeing, the bamboo can be carbonized. The bamboo is put into a boiler and is incubated with a pressure of 5 kg/cm ³ and a temperature of 150 ° C for 20-30 min. After that, the bamboo will be brown through and through. -K. A. Solomon-Ayeh,USE OF BAMBOO FOR BUILDINGS, Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI), page no 5-7

Social Networkings Influence on Eating Disorders Essay -- Facebook, T

As many as 10 million woman and girls suffer from anorexia or bulimia in the United States (Steele). Anorexia and bulimia are very serious eating disorders. Many women and young girls feel that these disorders are the only way for them to be accepted by others. However the strive for acceptance only ends up causing pain, emotional harm, or death to those affected. Being a sufferer of anorexia, I know the emotional and physical damage this disease can cause. The root cause of having an eating disorder is still undetermined, yet some doctors and physiologist believe the new focus on a perfect body, shown by the media is to blame. Society’s portrayal and promotion of a thin body image as the ideal female body contributes to eating disorders and poor self-esteem in many woman and young girls. Eating disorders are a group of illnesses characterized by abnormal eating habits. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) classifies eating disorders into three categories: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorders not otherwise specified, such as binge eating. The history behind these controversial diseases start as far back as 1689 when an English physician, Richard Morton gave the first medical description of anorexia nervosa, which he called "nervous consumption", he said was caused by sadness and anxious cares (Eating Disorders Timeline). The more recent fascination of eating disorders came to light when model Twiggy arrived in the U.S. Her short-haired, super-thin, look altered the fashion industry and shed light on a new feminine body image based on extreme thinness. Twiggy also introduced the â€Å"model† body image known today (Eating Disorders Timeline). In 1994 a study published in the Journal of Adolescen... ...anice. "Old Problem, New Victims." Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC). 26 May 2009: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Ogilvie, Megan. "How Biology Trumps Image As Cause of Anorexia 'I Became Obsessive..." Toronto Star (Toronto, Canada). 13 Apr 2008: SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Onstad, Katrina. "Thin Is Inviolate." Globe and Mail. 20 Nov 2010: L.15. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Siegel, Judy. "Link Found Between Heavy Use of Facebook and Eating Disorders..." Jerusalem Post (International). 01 Feb 2011: 6. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Schwarz, Fred. "Not Our Stars But Ourselves." National Review Vol. 61, No. 3. 23 Feb 2009: 22-24. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011. Topping, Alexandra. "Kate Moss Fallout: 'Pro-Anorexic' Community Finds Comfort..." The Guardian (London, England). 21 Nov 2009: 11. SIRS Researcher. Web. 05 Apr 2011.

Group Working Positivity

Group Work Participating in Group Work Participating in group work is an important skill to develop as it is something you will do in your student life and in your working career. Job advertisements often highlight ‘good team worker’ as a crucial skill for potential recruits. These may involve a group presentation or a group report followed by a reflective piece of writing and/or an individual assignment. Take notes or record your lecturer’s assignment briefing. Module Handbooks usually includes the assessment criteria (see Appendix 1) so it is important that you work well together to achieve success.It will be quite obvious to your lecturer whether you have worked well as a team and whether you prepared your assignment as a group. Groups formed by students to discuss case studies or discuss an assignment can help improve your grades and make the task more manageable. Keep a journal and record your progress, hindrances, issues and successes, plus any pitfalls to a void next time! Working in a TEAM? Together Everyone Achieves More Successful group work will involve: †¢ Clear, shared goals. †¢ Good communication amongst members of the group. †¢ Agreed ways of working towards the group goals. Support and cooperation, rather than competitiveness. †¢ Listening to one another. †¢ Autonomous team working. †¢ Arrangements for monitoring progress and taking corrective action, if necessary. †¢ Keep to deadlines – it is unfair to let others down who are depending on you, in order for the whole group to succeed. †¢ High levels of motivation. †¢ Plan – do – review. Why work in groups? Team building is vital to any organisation and by working in groups you can: †¢ Share resources. †¢ Share ideas and information. †¢ Share abilities. †¢ Learn from and help each other. Stimulate creativity and innovation. †¢ Increase motivation. †¢ Solve complex problems. †¢ C an help you get better grades. You will need to identify your strengths, which you can contribute to the group. You will also identify your weaknesses, and ideally the group will support and help you work on turning these weaknesses into strengths. IH have some useful DVDs on group work that may be helpful to watch (Assert yourself: learning to be assertive; Building the perfect team: Belbin’s team-role theory in action; Does the team work? Improving effectiveness through teamwork; It’s a deal!Win-win negotiation deals; Team leading: how to become an effective team leader; The great communicator: communication skills for all). Getting started †¢ It is up to the members of the group to make the first contact with one another. Exchange telephone numbers and email addresses so the group can meet. †¢ An icebreaker task is a good way to make each member feel comfortable with others that s/he does not know (see Appendix 2). †¢ Ensure you understand the instruc tions in the assignment. Each group member should have read the assignment brief and prepare to discuss it at the first meeting. Break the assignment into practicable chunks. Agree deadlines to complete each part. †¢ The group needs to compile and agree set ground rules (see Appendix 3). These rules can be reviewed and renegotiated from time to time – keeping useful rules in practice, amending or creating new ones as solutions to unanticipated problems that arise. †¢ Set realistic aims and targets within a given timeframe that all members understand and agree with. †¢ Negotiate roles and tasks: Who will be the leader? Who will do what? When? With what resources?Allocate tasks according to the experience, expertise or strength of each member. However, task allocation can also be allocated to build on a student’s inexperience and areas of weakness. †¢ Establish a regular programme of meetings to review task progress and group process. The group should keep in regular contact so plan where you will meet. Will it be at the University, will you alternate between group members’ homes, will you set up a site in ‘Your Groups’ in StudyNet or a group in Facebook or any other social networking site? †¢ Agree to keep good records (Group Log of meetings etc. see Appendix 4). You might also want to keep a blog, for self reflection of group work. It is compulsory at Level 5 and Level 6 to keep records of group work. Each member of the group needs good personal management skills and good time management skills to complete their part of the task, including taking corrective action. This means being honest with the rest of the group – let them know if there is a problem, seek help from the group, share information with others. The group needs to make a contract based on the above points and stick to it so ground rules are obeyed.Establish Group Roles In order for the group to function successfully to achieve thei r goal and to maximise the group’s time in meetings, roles have to be taken on by each member of the group. Belbin (1981 & 1993, cited in Blundel, 2004) and others have identified numerous roles within a team, usually in keeping with individual personality and strengths. Many university student groups have five or six people, and their suggested roles are below. These roles may be rotated amongst members or a member holds onto his/her role for the duration of the assignment.Whatever the size of your group, ensure that someone carries out the following: |Team role |Contribution | |Project/team leader/ Chair |Organises rooms, agendas and chairs meetings, co-ordinates and keeps the group focused and involved. Stops the group from | |person |going off at a tangent. Initiates, leads and drives the group towards achieving their task. | |Innovator &/or Evaluator |Creates novel ideas and solutions to support the task. | |Assesses ideas and proposals. | |Investigator/ Info. gatherer | Collects information and resources to support the task and the group takes up and develops his/her contributions. | |Team worker/ harmoniser |Encourages others, fosters team morale and reduces negativity. | |Record keeper |Keeps records, shares information. Provides facts, ideas, feedback, and/or alternative proposals to finish the task. | | |Summarises what has been done. Lists what else needs to be done to complete the task. |Completer |Keeps track on objectives meeting deadlines making sure the group is on target to complete the task and achieve the goals | | |set. Judging whether the task is being completed successfully and efficiently | Group dynamics All group work consists of both task and process elements. Attention is often focused on the task, i. e. a report or presentation, and the process is neglected (how you get the task done, i. e. working in groups), which can be a major reason for ineffective group working.Individuals need to focus on the group needs rather than the ir own personal needs. Encourage and support others and try to facilitate harmony. Self-seeking roles to avoid are: dominator, cynic, clown, aggressor, blocker, group humourist, recognition seeker, avoider, politician, etc. (based on Benne & Sheats, 1948 cited in Barker et al, 1991). Keep to the responsibilities you were given – do what you said you would do. Ensure there is co-operation between members, if the team is to succeed. Listen to one another and acknowledge one another’s ideas and suggestions. Listen actively and you will hear.Buzan (2000) states that listening is a top management skill. So improve your listening skills now and you’ll be more prepared for any job interview! Listen and DON’T: Pretend to pay attention – do so! Do other things at the same time. Decide it’s uninteresting. Have your mobile on in meetings. Hogg the conversation – be aware of others’ need to talk. Be distracted by someone’s way of sp eech or mannerism. Get over-involved and so lose the thread of conversation. Let emotion filled words arouse personal anger, antagonism, etc. Focus on distractions instead of what’s said.Take linear one colour notes (instead, use different coloured pens, draw diagrams, mind maps, lists, tables). Just listen for facts (also consider the speaker’s emotions, feelings, body language). Turn off when it is complex or difficult. Plan what you’re going to say next. All group members need to agree any changes, e. g. to meetings, content of the assignment, etc. if the group is to be successful. Keep to the deadlines given. If you cannot manage your time well, be aware that you are letting others down. Meet and keep in contact regularly, where progress and any changes are tracked.Cohesiveness, good communication, commitment and cooperation are essential. Misconduct, unethical behaviour, rule breaking, must be avoided. At times the group will be affected by pressures of dea dlines, absence of an influential member, a traumatic experience, or a new member joining. Disperse any cliques that may form. There should be no ‘outsiders’ involved in the group or have input in the group. Antagonistic or contentious individuals need to be dealt with by the group early on, so conflict is avoided. Consensus in decision making helps make all group members feel they have a say. Try the questionnaire ‘Are We a Team? in Appendix 5 to assess the extent to which your group is cohesive and how well you work together, at some stage in the second half of the process. Groups can access a small room for their meetings, by booking a study room. Virtual meetings may form part of your plan and if so, you need to make sure that everyone has suitable access. An agenda has to be agreed by the group for each meeting, otherwise the group may waste valuable time during the meeting by chatting or straying from discussing the issues. Decide how long you will spend dis cussing each item. Respect one another’s opinion – everyone is entitled to their say.A ‘talking stick’ could be used during meetings, where the person holding the stick gets to speak. Others must listen until another person gets to hold the stick, and has his/her say. Another useful idea for effective discussion at meetings is to follow de Bono’s Six Hats Model (1985). See Appendix 6 for the full details. The ‘6 Thinking Hats’ helps generate critical thinking, to brainstorm or reflect, as these six ‘hats’ are metaphors for thinking about different aspects of a task/experience, at different times. Break down your thinking into 6 areas; use all six hats, to explore effectively and thoroughly with less confusion.De Bono considers that the emphasis should be on designing a way forward all the time. The hats are directions of how to think and not descriptions of what has happened. He says this parallel thinking method allows the subject to be explored fully by considering one view at a time and accepting that they can be viewed as parallel, not necessary contradictory. It can be used constructively by all cultures. It allows you to find positive or constructive elements in negative or difficult situations and so helps to create a sense of perspective about it.A variant of this technique is to look at problems from the point of view of different professionals, or roles, or customers. Evaluate your progress as you go and keep a record of the meetings, which will be useful later when you have to carry out reflective writing based on the group work. If a group member is going to be absent (with good reason), let the group know beforehand. Ask questions of the other group members in order for you to proceed with your task or to clarify an issue. Be honest with peers – if you do not know something, say so or if you are not on target with your work, tell the group.The group will not function if everyone is not working openly, together towards the same goal. Behaviours serving task needs: †¢ Clarifying objectives †¢ Seeking information from group members †¢ Giving relevant information †¢ Proposing ideas and building on ideas or proposals contributed by others †¢ Summarising progress so far †¢ Evaluating progress against group objectives †¢ Time keeping †¢ Identifying a group member to take responsibility to ensure agreed actions are taken †¢ Setting up a way of reviewing progress after the meeting Behaviours serving group needs: Encourage members to contribute and value all contributions. †¢ Check that you have understood a point by summarising that understanding, before giving reasons for disagreeing †¢ Help to resolve conflict without making others feel rejected †¢ Change your view in light of arguments or information given by others †¢ Help to control those who talk too much †¢ Praising group progress towards obj ectives †¢ Dissuading group members from negative behaviour Behaviours interfering with task or group needs: †¢ Not preparing for the meeting/not doing your job Talking too much and/or focusing your attention on yourself †¢ Reacting emotionally to points made †¢ Attacking others points by ridicule or unreasoned comments †¢ Not listening to others †¢ Interrupting others and/or talking at the same time as them †¢ Introducing a completely different point of view while productive discussion of something else is taking place †¢ Chatting to others privately during the meeting †¢ Using humour to excess †¢ Withdrawing from the group and/or refusing to participate †¢ Being late for meetings/not turning up at all/leaving early Cameron (2005) BrainstormingBrainstorming is a useful way of generating ideas as well as problem-solving. A ‘facilitator’ needs to be appointed for the session. S/he will write everyone’s ideas d own and encourage all members to participate. Then, collect ideas from all members of the group. Ideas or opinions should not be criticised or rejected at this stage. Acknowledge and record all ideas and suggestions. Once the brainstorming has been exhausted, move on to link ideas and themes, and synthesise them. The group should then agree on which ideas should remain and which should be discarded. Using Post-its and Flip ChartsPutting things down on paper is an essential part of keeping the group going. †¢ Brainstorming session: one member of the group puts ideas on the flipchart OR individuals note their ideas on post-its and these are collected and examined. Ideas are easily prioritised using post-its as they are easily re-arranged. †¢ Resolve conflict: each member notes their opinion on a post-it and posts it on the board. The group can examine and consider the points made by the group. †¢ Equal opportunities: all members have a ‘say’ by writing down their ideas and suggestions, rather than a dominant vocal member ‘taking over’ the session.Virtual Group Work It is not always easy for groups to meet regularly; however, an arrangement must be made to keep in regular contact. There is no excuse if students cannot meet face-to-face, because they can meet virtually. There are a number of ways they can do this: You could chose email updates, a which anyone can set up through ‘Your Groups’ in the top black menu. For instructions to set up a group discussion forum, see Appendix 7. The wiki facility in ‘Your Groups’ could be a useful way of developing your work in such a way that all members have access to it.See YouTube – Wikis in Plain English for a quick demonstration of a wiki in use for a collaborative group task. Or you could all agree to use a social networking site, such as Facebook, to work on. Lecturers sometimes monitor and assess the level of communication that occurs in these gr oups. E-mails can be sent to group members, with files attached to share your part of the task with the other group members. Note: Virtual group work should NOT replace regular face-to-face meetings; rather it should be used in addition to it and as a way of keeping in contact between meetings to support one another.Group Diversity Be aware that some people initiate ideas, motivate, co-ordinate, maintain standards, seek opinions, and keep the group working towards their goal. Personality clashes, cross-cultural differences, discrimination, bullying and blocking people out can be issues that arise in groups. Difficult team members can be aggressive, try to be the centre of attention, waste time joking around, compete with other members, reject ideas without good reason, be ‘hard done by’. Cross-cultural differences can sometimes cause conflict.Hofstede (1991) and Morrison et al, (1994, cited in Levin, 2005: 89-91) identify cultural traits that may cause conflict: |Indivi dualism Vs Collectivism | |People brought up in individualist cultures see themselves as individuals, taking it for granted that they can say what they think, take decisions on | |their own and confront others with their view. | |People brought up in a collectivist culture view themselves as members of a family and/or wider group.To them, the preservation of harmony within the | |group is very important. Decisions are made by consensus within the group and confrontation is avoided. | |Tolerance of Uncertainty | |In some cultures there are authority figures to whom everyone else defers, everyone knows their place and rote learning is the method of education. | |People from this culture would feel uncomfortable in situations of uncertainty, or when they do not know where their place is and what the rules and | |regulations are, and where there is no ‘right answer’. |On the other hand, there are cultures where authority comes under challenge, and independent and critical thinking are encouraged. People do not have a| |clearly defined place in society, rules and expectations of a ‘right answer’ are absent but this is seen as an opportunity and a challenge. | |Issues of Embarrassment and ‘loss of face’ | |Embarrassment and loss of face are to be found in all cultures.However, the reasons for embarrassment vary. People from some cultures may find it hard| |to admit they are unable to perform a particular task whereas a person from another culture would not be embarrassed by this. Revealing emotion may be | |unnatural; to express disagreement; to refuse something; to be able to understand something said to you more than once; to be discovered to have lied; | |and/or to renegotiate an agreement in the hope of getting a better deal. |In some cultures losing face happens when you feel challenged, when your contribution to a discussion is not acknowledged, if someone makes a joke at | |your expense or if you suffer a public-let-do wn. What one person feels as teasing, another might feel it as insulting. | |Gender Issues | |In every culture roles and places are assigned to men and women. People from different cultures have different assumptions, expectations and habits | |towards men and women.Some men may find it difficult to deal with assertive women and some women may find it difficult to be assertive. Often people | |feel more comfortable in same gender groups where they can say what they think and feel. | |Codes of Behaviour | |There are codes of behaviour in all cultures. Certain behaviour is seen as acceptable in one culture but unacceptable behaviour in another and is | |viewed as rude, immodest, lacking respect, etc.Some examples are: | |Standing very close to someone you are talking to | |Gesturing a lot when talking (moving your hands and head) | |Expressing impatience | |Confrontational behaviour, especially outright disagreement | |Interrupting someone who is speaking | |Boasting | |Silence during a conversation. Failure to respond immediately may cause discomfort or may imply agreement or disagreement. | |Failure to make eye contact with someone who is speaking or listening. This could be mistaken for insincerity or lack of attentiveness, whereas it is | |intended to show deference. |Lack of punctuality | Other differences may be how a person is treated according to their age, social status, occupation and/or educational background. Working with people of other cultures and ethnic backgrounds is a great opportunity to learn about others, and indeed learn about yourself. Make ‘understanding group members’ backgrounds and points of view’ an explicit group objective. Care will have to be taken with group rules (ways of operating) where less assertive students will have their say, and regular checks on how members feel about other members’ responses to their contributions. Addressing ConflictDue to groups involving people of different personal ities, cultures, gender, etc. it is quite common for conflict to occur. Problems should be discussed in the group, i. e. a group member not working, non-attending group member, etc. and decisions on how to proceed should be considered in light of the ground rules set in the first meeting. This needs to be resolved without creating bad feeling amongst group members. Resolution is achieved by addressing the issues through discussion amongst the whole group. Do not leave problems to fester and grow. It is important that the group tries to address this conflict themselves before involving a third party, i. e. your lecturer or an ASU adviser.Here are some steps to try to resolve the conflict within the group, before seeking a negotiator: †¢ Set a rule of how disagreement will be resolved, i. e. if someone is not participating, if someone misses meetings, if there is a personality clash, etc. †¢ Encourage an environment of openness and honesty – say if you are unhappy/wri te it in the group site. Be honest about where you are at with your task. †¢ Agree for all members to participate fully – always put your view forward. Consider other members’ feelings. †¢ Agree to put group needs before personal needs. Others are depending on you to provide your input and complete your task. †¢ You do not have to like people to work with them – however, you have to learn to work with them in the group.This will help you to develop good interpersonal skills. †¢ Develop and practice listening skills – everyone deserves to be heard, even if you disagree with their point-of-view. †¢ Keep to deadlines – others are depending on you. †¢ Keep track of progress, so things do not fall behind and thus putting the group under pressure. †¢ Establish the nature of the disagreement. Do members perceive facts differently? Do they disagree about ways of working? Are members operating with different values? By exp loring the cause of the disagreement, the group may be able to come to a better understanding of the task and its context. Solutions can then be suggested by the group.In dealing with conflict you need to use your talking, listening, assertiveness and interpersonal skills to reach a resolution. Try not to give up until you have resolved the issue(s) as a group. If you are unable to resolve the conflict, then you MUST speak to your lecturer about it. Do NOT put it off until your report is due in or until the day of presentation. Group Presentations It is important that the group present themselves as a team. This can be done in the following way: †¢ Prepare the slides using the same format and ensure the presentation is well structured. The team will need to meet regularly to ensure this occurs. †¢ Practice the presentation together so you can ensure your presentation is completed within the time limit.By practicing regularly as a group, the presentation should be coherent, polished and well executed on the day. †¢ Have a back up plan incase one of the group is absent on the day; is unable to present their section or takes too long presenting their section of the talk. †¢ The first presenter should introduce the whole group and say what they will talk about. †¢ Be supportive to other students in your group while they are presenting by looking interested; using positive non-verbal communication, i. e. nod; help with using visual aids. You should not sit down after your section has been done. †¢ At the hand-over stage, the current speaker must introduce the next presenter and what they will say.The next person to speak should thank the previous speaker before beginning his/her part of the presentation. Group Reports †¢ Advice given above on group roles, meetings, etc. applies when preparing your report. †¢ You need to meet regularly to assess progress and to put the tasks together. †¢ The report must be compiled as one piece of work, rather than having obvious separate parts of different font styles and writing style. At the end†¦ Ensure the group meet before presenting/submitting their work to check that the work is well structured, clear and coherent and shows that you worked closely as a group. Submit on time. Reflection on Group WorkYou may be asked to reflect on what happened, your role within the group, what you have learned from it and what you need to work on in the future. Ensure you have clarified with the lecturer what is expected of you and what the assessment criteria is. Complete the reflection by considering the following questions: †¢ What went well? Why? †¢ What went wrong? Why? †¢ How did you solve it? †¢ What would you do differently next time? †¢ What contribution did you make? †¢ What did you learn from others? †¢ What did the other members learn from you? †¢ What strengths did you identify? Did the group utilise your strengths? â € ¢ What weaknesses did you identify? How did you and the group address them? Did you improve on your weaknesses to turn them into strengths? †¢ What do you plan to do about the weaknesses you have identified? †¢ How does this link to the theories on successful group work? Who did what, when, problems or difficulties encountered, etc. Analyse the group activities: (What was the group trying to achieve? What were the different views? Who said what? What was left unsaid? How were decisions made? How did you feel about this? How did the others feel? What was the energy levels and motivation like? Did anything unexpected happen? ). Action planning: Identify what you contributed to the group, difficulties you experienced, and from this assess your strengths, weaknesses and action points.Focus on critical incidences – which were turning points for the group or which demonstrate particular difficulties / successes. Use the checklist in Appendix 9 at the end of each meeti ng to reflect on strengths and weaknesses. Avoid Academic Misconduct When participating in group work, you must avoid any academic misconduct, i. e. you must not plagiarise (use another’s work as your own by not acknowledging it by making reference to the author’s work in your assignment) or you are not accused of collusion (you work it not your own individual work but rather it has been undertaken jointly with another students, where you shared ideas or your material with another student and their work (or any part of it) is a replica of yours).Academic misconduct is identified when your coursework is passed a software programme that detects and identifies cheating. Such misconduct can occur when you ‘share’ your work with another student, where you may send him/her an electronic version of your work, share materials or you do your write-up together. References Barker, L. , Wahlers, K. , Watson, K. & Kibler, R. (1991) Groups in Process. 4th edn. New Jerse y: Prentice Hall. Belbin, R. M. (1993) Team Roles at Work. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Belbin, R. M. (1981) Management Teams: why they succeed or fail. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Benne, K. D. & Sheats, P. (1948) ‘Functional Roles of group Members. ’ Journal of Social Issues. 4. pp. 41-49. Blundel, R. 2004) Effective Organisational Communication. 2nd edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Buzan, T (2000) Use Your Head. London: BBC Active Cameron, S. (2005) The Business Student’s Handbook. 3rd edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. De Bono, E (1985) Six Thinking Hats. Harmondsworth: Viking Elluminate (2010) Window Descriptions. Available at: http://www. elluminate. com [Accessed: 18 October, 2010] Hofstede, G. (1991) Cultures and Organisations: Software of the Mind. London: McGrawHill. Levin, P. (2005) Successful Teamwork! London: Open University Press. Morrison, T. , Conaway, W. A. , Borden, G. A. (1994) Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands: How to do Business in Six ty Countries. Adams Media.Race, P. (2000) 500 Tips on Group Learning. London: Kogan Page. Stuart, R. , (1998) Team Developmental Games for Trainers. Gower Publishing Limited. In Levin, P. (2005) Successful Teamwork! London: Open University Press. Appendix 1 – Assessment of Group Work Group work is not always formally assessed. However, in some modules at the overall assessment of a group report or group presentation may include an assessment of the process of preparation. This may include the following considerations: †¢ Progress of preparation (e. g. meeting of milestones; numbers of meetings; progress of preparation) †¢ Relative inputs of members of the group (e. g. ocumentation of input; peer assessment of input) †¢ Roles of group members in preparation (e. g. project manager; reporter, etc) †¢ Resolution of conflict situations †¢ The level of team building Appendix 2 – Icebreakers The following icebreakers are a quick way of helping members of a group get to know one another a little better. †¢ What’s you name? Members of a group tell what their name is and provide the group with a little background of why they were given that name. †¢ What I like and what I hate – Members of the group introduce themselves and share a like and a dislike they have, i. e. I love coffee but I hate people who talk too much, I love jazz music but I hate queuing, etc. †¢ What’s your hidden secret?Each member of the group introduces themselves and tells the group one thing not many people know about them, i. e. I met Madonna, I play the piano, I dived in the Red Sea, I walked the Great Wall of China, I ate frogs legs once, etc. †¢ Triumphs, traumas and trivia* – Each member of the group identifies a triumph, a trauma and a trivia about themselves, which they will share with the group, i. e. I won a gold medal for running at school, I was in a car accident when I was 12, I do crosswords; I won ? 10 in the lotto last year, I lost my suitcases when I came to the UK, I tell terrible jokes; etc. *Note: Care needs to be taken with this activity as deep feelings can emerge about traumas suffered. Interview your neighbour* – Group splits into pairs and one member of each pair spends about three minutes listening to the other tell some of the above mentioned information, as well as the person’s background information. Notes should be taken. Swap roles for next three minutes. Then each person feeds back to the group some information about their neighbour. * Note: Care needs to be taken not to ask questions that may intrude on an individual’s privacy and the amount of information s/he wishes to divulge about themselves to the group. †¢ What do you already know about the topic? Members of the group jot down the most important thing they know about the topic on a Post-it and put it on a flipchart. Members can read what they know about the topic or the group c an read it from the flipchart. This is a useful starting point for the task.Adapted from: Race (2000:37-39) Appendix 3 – Ground Rules Here are some suggested rules to be set by a group – these are by no means the only rules a group can adopt. Honesty and truthfulness is fostered in the group. †¢ You do not have to like someone to work with them. Members have to work together despite their personal feelings about individuals in the group. Affirm collective responsibility. Once issues have been raised, aired, and solutions provided, the group lives with the decisions made by the group. †¢ Everyone listens while someone speaks and everyone has a say. Members are entitled to their opinions, which should not be ignored, put down or belittled by others. Full participation is required. All members need to participate in discussion, complete their tasks, etc. †¢ Fair share – everyone participates equally in the task. †¢ Meet deadlines. †¢ Agree and set up a regular programme of meetings. †¢ Keep records. Record progress and milestones reached, minutes, agendas, self reflective logs. †¢ Flexibility in meeting members’ needs. Sometimes a member’s personal needs may interfere with the group working – allowances must be made. Dealing with conflicts in the group. Appendix 4 – Group Work Log Module: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________Assessment Aim: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Group Objectives set: 1. ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ ____ 3. _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. _________________________________________________________________________________ 5. _______ __________________________________________________________________________ The group should agree roles for each of the members at the beginning of the task and this group log should be complete by the end of the task. |Member’s Name |Role/s |Assigned Tasks |Deadline date |Deadline met |No of meetings attended |Individual comments | |1 | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | |2 | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | |3 | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | |4 | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | |5 | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | | | | |- | | | | | Details of all group meetings |Meeting Date |Discussion topic/s |Actions & deadlines agreed |Attendees signatures/date | |1. | | |1. | | | |2. | | | | |3. | | | | |4. | | | | |5. | |2. | | |1. | | | |2. | | | | |3. | | | | |4. | | | | |5. | |3. | | |1. | | | |2. | | | | |3. | | | | |4. | | | | |5. | |4. | | |1. | | | |2. | | | | |3. | | | | |4. | | | | |5. | |5. | | |1. | | | |2. | | | | |3. | | | | |4. | | | | |5. | |6. | | |1. | | | |2. | | | | |3. | | | | |4. | | | | |5. | Appendix 5 – Questionnaire: Are We a Team? First, each individual member of the group fills in the questionnaire below. Then the sheets are collected and the scores collated to the table below. = never; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 = mostly; 5 = always 1) We all show equal commitment to our objective1 2 3 4 5 2) We all take part in deciding how the work should be allocated1 2 3 4 5 3) We are committed to helping each other learn1 2 3 4 5 4) We acknowledge good contributions from group members1 2 3 4 5 5) We handle disagreements and conflict constructively within the group1 2 3 4 5 6) We are able to give constructive criticism to one another and accept it1 2 3 4 5 7) We all turn up to meetings and stay to the end1 2 3 4 5 8) We are good at making sure everyone knows what is going on1 2 3 4 5 9) When one of us is under pressure, others o ffer to help them1 2 3 4 5 10) We trust each other1 2 3 4 5 11) We remain united even when we disagree1 2 3 4 5 12) We feel comfortable and relaxed with one another1 2 3 4 5 13) We refer to our ground rules and review them when necessary1 2 3 4 5 Stuart (1998, cited in Levin, 2005) |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |TOTAL | |1. We all show equal commitment to our objective | | | | | | | |2. We all take part in deciding how the work should be allocated | | | | | | | |3. We are committed to helping each other learn | | | | | | | |4. We acknowledge good contributions from group members | | | | | | | |5.We handle disagreements & conflict constructively within the group | | | | | | | |6. We are able to give constructive criticism & accept it | | | | | | | |7. We all turn up to meetings and stay to the end | | | | | | | |8. We are good at making sure everyone knows what is going on | | | | | | | |9. When one of us is under pressure, others offer to help them | | | | | | | |10.We trust each other | | | | | | | |11. We remain united even when we disagree | | | | | | | |12. We feel comfortable and relaxed with one another | | | | | | | |13. We refer to our ground rules and review them when necessary | | | | | | | Action planning can occur as a result of the findings. Appendix 6 – De Bono's (1985) ‘6 Thinking Hats’ ModelEdward de Bono considers that the emphasis should be on designing a way forward all the time. The hats are directions of how to think and not descriptions of what has happened. White Hat:[pic]Facts, figures, laws, information, neutral, objective†¦ With this thinking you focus on the data available and are non-judgmental. Look at the information you have, and see what you can learn from it. Look for gaps in your knowledge, and identify what you need to get or take account of. You consider past trends and historical data. You may consider philosophical aspects such as whose truth it is, whose fact is it? Data may need to be supported by evidence.R ed Hat: [pic]Feelings, emotions, hunches, intuition about †¦ Wearing this hat, you consider the issues using intuition, gut reaction, and emotion. This may be feedback about your feelings and preferences but also consider how other people might react emotionally. Try to understand the responses of other people who do not have the same information or understanding as you. Black Hat: [pic]Negative, drawbacks, disadvantages, careful, cautious, defensive†¦ This highlights the weak points in a situation or plan. By identifying them, it allows you to eliminate or alter them, or prepare contingency plans to counter them. Consider why something might not work (give reasons, consider past evidence).Black Hat thinking may play ‘devil’s advocate’. It helps you to plan carefully, be prepared and more resilient. This way of thinking helps spot fatal flaws by considering safety and risks before embarking on a course of action. (Some successful people get so used to t hinking positively that often they cannot see problems in advance. This leaves them under-prepared for difficulties. ) Yellow Hat: [pic] Positive, speculative, advantages, benefits, savings of†¦ Consider what is right, why it is good and be constructive. Even in a very difficult or stressful situation find positives, e. g. learning will have taken place. It is an optimistic, sunny viewpoint that is often speculative.It helps you to see the benefits of a situation/decision and the value in it. Yellow Hat thinking is supportive when things seem gloomy and difficult. It finds reasons and logical support, and often links to creativity. Green Hat: [pic] Creativity, ideas, innovation, growth, exploration, alternatives†¦ Green Hat thinking is developing creative solutions to a problem. It may generate completely new ideas and developments or consider possible changes to a situation. It is a freewheeling, non-judgmental way of thinking. Blue Hat: [pic] Organise, control, plan (pro cess, people, agendas)†¦ This hat is often the view of a director or the chair at meetings.They often choose the order or process, summarise the situation and offer conclusions which can be put into practice in the future. This way of thinking is generally cool and considered. When others’ ideas cease, Blue Hat thinking may direct activity to other hats! For new ideas Blue may pass to Green Hat or when contingency plans are needed Black Hat thinking will be engaged, etc. | | Appendix 9: Group Work Check List (to be used after every meeting) Please reflect on the group meeting and check/cross the boxes as appropriate, in order to identify strengths and weaknesses: ? Each member was present at the meeting ? Everyone turned up on time Every member did their part of the work & brought it along ? Every member took a role in the meeting ? Each member in the group had a turn to speak ? Each member in the group participated ? The group members respected and appreciated one anot her’s contributions ? Members of the group were polite to one another ? Disagreement / conflict in the group was resolved during the meeting ? Everyone was clear what they had to do next ? Everyone was clear what they had to bring / present at the next meeting ? It was clear how members could communicate with one another between meetings ? The next meeting date, time and venue was agreed by all members

FDE 1000 part a Essay

I am currently working in a small privately run day nursery on a housing estate and have been there now for nearly six years. Within my setting I have two job roles both of which I am very clear as to what my roles and responsibilities are. Common core (2010,2ek) First of which is Deputy officer in charge which has been my role now for nearly two years and holds many responsibilities and challenges on a daily basis, my main responsibilities relate to assisting my manger in the day to day running of the setting and working very closely with all the staff, assisting in interviews working with current and new parents and also working very closely with other agencies involved in the nursery including speech therapist, child physiologists, ofsted and the local authority. My other job role is lead practitioner in the preschool room looking after children aged between two years to four years old. Here my role consists of working closely with my senior nursery practitioner in planning and observing the children in the preschool, helping to prepare them for their transition into primary school. CC (2010,4bs) implementing the daily routine, making sure health and safety towards the children and staff is maintained at all times and mentoring the other staff who work in the preschool room including nursery assistants and trainees. I have many strengths within my job roles but also many weaknesses which I work every day towards improving through observing what others do, listening to what others say and also through teaching myself new things. Completing my training needs analysis made me more aware of strengths and weakness I was unaware of which I had which has brought to light different things in which I need to work on improving to help maintain my knowledge and to help improve my practice. I have worked closely with my work-based mentor and the settings manager to put an action plan into place to improve my practice to the best it can be over the next twelve months, this action plan is based on what areas I have found I need to improve on using my training needs analysis. By completing my Training needs analysis and recently returning to working within a room in my setting which has only been for two months now, I have realised according to the early years teachers standards I do not have such a secure knowledge of early childhood development and I do need to work on how this leads to the children learning successfully when they get to school Early years teachers standards(2013, S3:1) I am not as fully aware of all the new EYFS changes as I thought I was which if I do not change this will effect the learning and development of the children within my care. I have found that when I am now completing the children’s learning journals I need a lot of support from the other staff members in my room to make sure I am observing each child correctly and that I am linking each observation to the correct area of the eyfs and not giving a false indication of where the children may be up to developmentally, before all the changes took place I was always very confident in this area. I do realise I know enough on the new eyfs to be able to plan and track the next steps of development for the children as I am aware of how to observe and find I am very confident in this particular area, but I also know that If I took part in some more research related to the this through reading books provided by my work setting and researching the many options available to me online that I will be able to give the children a better chance of being ready and prepared for their transition to primary school. I am also willing to search for possible training opportunities on the new EYFS through the national day nurseries association as we have took part in training through them in the past. I have put this on my action plan to complete by February of next year as I feel there is a lot of research that can be done to help me in this area and feel that I have given myself enough time to do this research. Also through reflection I have realised I need to update my safeguarding training. In my setting we have a lead safeguarding officer who is the nursery manager, recently my manger has had some prolonged time off and therefore it has become my duty to step into this role as lead safeguarding officer. I am aware of safeguarding and have some knowledge in this area although through looking at my training needs analysis and stepping up into this role it has made me realise I lack confidence in this area and need support. I am able to recognise when a child is at risk but need to build a lot of confidence around acting upon this through my own judgement rather than consistently needed advice and support EYTS (2013, S7:3) although I do understand when it comes to safeguarding issues advice and support from others is essential providing it is within reason and kept confidential. During my time at my setting I have dealt with some safeguarding instances as a support for my manager and parents. I am aware that my safeguarding training certificate Is now out of date and it is f great importance that I take part in a new training course to refresh my knowledge so I am able to act upon legal requirements regarding safeguarding and am more aware and confident in promoting the welfare of the children in my care EYTS (2013, S7:1). Also as I am now deputy officer in charge and lead practitioner within my setting I am aware that I will need to take part in a higher level safeguarding course as I have only took part in level one, I am now looking into doing my safeguarding level two for room leaders and management. By taking part in this training I will be more confident in employing practices which will help to promote the children’s health and safety within my setting EYTS (2013,S7:2). I have put this on my action plan to complete by April of next year which I feel gives me time to find the correct course suited to my needs and the needs of the children that I look after. When it comes to observing the children and writing the observations next steps I am quite confident in doing this where I start to lack the confidence is using these next steps to support the planning for each individual Childs needs, I always state a next step in my observation but don’t always add this to my planning to show progression and development in particular areas for the children EYTS (2013,S4:1). I am currently planning to take part in a staff-planning meeting CC(2010,1cs) this meeting will be regarding our settings planning to air my concerns about my knowledge and confidence and hope this will help by hearing other staff member’s views and advise as well as any concerns that they may have. I a hoping by doing this it will bring to light changes I need to make and possibly the whole setting need to make to be more able to plan balanced activities for the children based on the age and developmental stage and help myself be more confident in recognising other circumstances that may effect the children learning and development EYTS (2013,S4:2). I have added this as part of my action plan and hope to have this completed by December as I feel it is an important part of the day to day running of the setting to be able to have full understanding of the planning we do as if we do not understand it properly it can effect the children’s learning in the future and effect their transition into primary school. My job role as deputy officer in charge comes with a lot of responsibility I have never undergone any management training and have taught myself how to be efficient as deputy manager along the way over the past twenty two months. In many situations as part of my job role I am very confident and do believe I am a good positive leader, I listen to and take in everything that is said to me by other staff members and am very understanding towards all situations CC(2010,1as). I have took part in interviews, meetings with other professionals and staff meetings during my time as deputy but I have not taken lead role in any of these situations and believe I lack confidence in this area EYTS (2013, S8:3) I am aiming to take lead in my first staff meeting and have targeted this for January of next year so that I have sufficient amount of points to discuss during this meeting. I am hoping by doing this it will help to build my confidence as a deputy officer I charge in group situations where the focus is solely on myself EYTS (2013,S8:5). I am more confident in my job role as lead practitioner in preschool as I have more experience within this area although through recent reflection I have noticed I need to be more assertive to other staff around me and to delegate more tasks to the staff in my room to help them to develop their abilities in all areas, I need to be more aware that as lead practitioner other staff member will be looking up to me and what I do in my role as support for themselves EYTS(2013,S8:4) therefore if I teach my knowledge and understanding towards everything work related to the other staff members they will hopefully see me as a good role model for themselves as they work towards furthering their own careers in childcare CC(2010,4as) I will look at holding room meetings in the near future to help to build on this confidence I have in myself and my team will have in me we can use these meetings as a learning experience for all team members to work more efficiently together and help myself within my lead practitioner role. I will plan to place this alongside leading the whole settings staff meeting. I n my setting or any setting previous to this one I have not completed a personal development profile before, I have recently started to gather information to start creating my personal development profile since starting my course. I have set myself a target to have this completed as much as it can be up to now to help me with my development EYTS (2013,S8:6) By starting this file I have realised more of my strengths, weaknesses and achievements during my career so far. Over the next few months I am going to work with my work based mentor and nursery manager to organise my personal development profile efficiently and through the duration of this course and my future job roles and prospects I am going to work hard towards contributing to and improving my file to help benefit myself in anything I do in the future. The target I have set myself for having my file started is October as I feel it is an important part of the progress I have made so far in my career. I have realised since completing my training needs analysis that I have strengths and weakness in many areas of my job roles. I have not previously reflected upon my practices as a nursery nurse lead practitioner or deputy officer in charge and have realised how important self reflection is to help with gaining a more efficient knowledge of my own work and how I need to improve, in my main job role as deputy officer in charge not only is it important for myself to gain higher knowledge and keep up to date with changes that take place but it is also important to all other staff members as they look to me as their leader and my achievements and knowledge can have an effect on others and what they do in the future of their own careers. Self reflection has made me realise how much work I actually need to under go to make myself become the best I can possibly be for myself and for my whole team now and in the furute. EYTS (2013,S8:6,S8:7) Bibliography Children’s workforce development council (2010) common core of skills and knowledge for the children’s workforce National college for teaching and le adership (2013) teachers standards (early years)